Not So Perfect Parenting

The dog has nothing to do with this post but it is one more thing that I have to clean up it’s pee.

Parenting right now has been tough.

We’re trying to get one potty trained. Even though she is doing great, it’s still a challenge with the small accidents that do happen. To add to that, it’s my inconsistencies that are making it tough. If I wasn’t so scatterbrained I think she would have it down pat by now but I always remember to take her potty right after she’s slipped in the pile of wet pee and is covered in it. She’s currently on a two bath a day schedule, or so it seems.

Then there’s the older two. Wow… it’s been tough. It’s not the attitudes, it’s the actions. They have been refusing to listen to me and tonight Damion saw it too. He’s been having to work a lot so it’s just been me. When I tell them to clean up their room, they sit in there and play. Yes, I know this is normal childhood but it’s worse than just normal. When I ask them to pick something up and put it where it goes, all week they’ve just been taking it to a different room and throwing it on the floor or hiding it. They are putting more effort into hiding it then what it would take to just put it up.

Sunday we cleaned out their room upstairs and got at least 15 loads of laundry that they have been hiding. It was a huge mixture of clothes, blankets, and all their winter jackets. It’s texas, why their winter jackets? Because rather than hanging them up they just threw them in the corner of their closet which was later covered with dirty clothes and so now their jackets smelled and needed to be washed. Earlier this week I washed it all and gave it to them to be put up. Yesterday I noticed a big pile of clothes, way too big for having just washed every single piece of fabric upstairs. Some of the clean clothes that they didn’t feel like putting up were hidden underneath the dirty ones and had to be rewashed. Today I did 5 more loads of their laundry. They folded them because I’m refusing to keep doing it if they just keep ditching them… and then I told them to go put them away. They hid them in the bathroom cabinets.

It’s just one frustrating moment after another. Tomorrow I’m going to take the light bulbs out of their room, all of them. Every single night after we put them to bed they have been turning the light back on and staying up until at least 11pm, no matter how many times I go up the stairs to turn it back off and tell them to go to bed. I’m sure this is a big chunk of why they are not listening since they are getting more exhausted every single day.

They have been tearing stuff up, sneaking food out of the kitchen, disobeying all the family rules and just driving me crazy.

So why am I telling you all of this? Because I’m frustrated and exhausted myself. Because I’m a mom and no matter how some people want to portray themselves online, every single mom gets this way at times. Every single mom questions herself and her child rearing skills at times.

I’m telling you not because I want parenting advice (I already have a new system of consequences ready to go for Monday) but because I would be a failure if I portrayed myself as a mom that has it together. I don’t, no one does……

Do not beat yourself up for not being the picture perfect mom. Raising kids is already enough work, get off the hamster wheel of perfect motherhood and just be happy with your family, even when they are making you pull your hair out.

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Comments

I feel your pain! I’ve started the “sticker system” for my kids. I think that reward system will last a few days and they’ll be back to their devilsh ways. I often call my mother and blame her because when I was a child she told me “someday you’ll have kids that are 10 times worse than you”. Which she then laughs and says “You’ll miss these times”. LOL. I hope your new system works! I’m learning to ease up and try to enjoy my imperfect perfect life. GOOD LUCK!

Motherhood! I think it must be the season or something. My 5 yo daughter has been being exactly the same way with the defiance/lack of listening. We school during the summer and it’s been so stressful because at every turn my normally great listener is just testing me. Hopefully it’s just a season. Good luck with your new system! Let us know if it works.

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